Gingersnaps

1 1/2 C oil
1/2 C molasses
1 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
4 C flour
1 t cloves
1 t ginger
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
4 t baking soda

Mix, roll into balls, roll in sugar (I use a zip lock baggie). Bake at 350 about 10-12 minutes.

Firehouse Bread

Well...making wheat bread the other day reminded me of another good bread I used to make...this was an attempt to duplicate a yummy herb bread made at Sunrise Bakery in Walnut Creek...maybe I based it on a recipe for bread made by firemen because it's called (for no apparent reason):

FireHouse Bread

4 T (or pkg) dry yeast
1/2 C warm water
1/3 C dry minced onion
1 cube melted butter
3 1/3 C milk
1 1/3 C dry milk powder
1/3 C honey
2 t salt
4 T dry parsley
1 t dry dill
1/2 t sage
1 1/2 C cornmeal
8 C white flour

Proof yeast in warm water. Heat milk and put in mixer with honey onions, butter, salt and herbs. Mix in cornmeal, yeast and half the flour (Be sure the milk has cooled down some)Mix and add most of remaining flour. Let knead in bowl 10 minutes(or knead on floured board). Place in oiled bowl and let rise about 1 hour. Form into 4 loaves and let rise again. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Butter tops. Tip: I wet a clean tea towel with hot water (or warm up in microwave) and cover the rising bread dough so it doesn't form a dry surface.

Best Mom Awards!

Amber has started a great site for giving Mom's the appreciation they deserve!

Go to BestMomAwards to print out awards for the mom's you know....if you think of new awards (and the possiblities are ENDLESS!) send them to her and she'll add them to the site!

Why didn't they have this when I was in the middle of my "Momhood"??? Oh, right...there was no internet!

Another related site I found the other day is.... What's Mom Worth? No one could afford a mom if she had to be paid in $$$ instead of hugs and kisses....

Simple Bread

Bread in the pans




Rising bread



Yummm!

Simple Bread
(4 loaves)

This is the basic recipe that came with our wheat grinder and Bosch mixer. When we bought them in about 1973 they cost almost $400....a LOT back then...but we rationalized...who knows, someday bread may be $1.00 a loaf! (lol...bread then was usually about 25 cents a loaf...on sale 5 for $1.00)
I added the gluten flour which really makes whole wheat bread raise lighter.

5 C hot water (115deg)

3 pkg (or 3 T) yeast

11 C whole wheat flour

1 C gluten flour

1 T salt

1/2 C oil or shortening

1/2 C honey

Optional ingredients for flavor or dough "conditioning"....I don't know if they make a lot of difference!

(grated orange rind and cinnamon)
(2 T lecithin granules, 1/2 t ascorbic acid, 1 t ginger)

I use the Bosch, but you can mix by hand or in a KitchenAid...but I think the KitchenAid will only do two loaves...I'm not sure.

Also...I usually use SAF yeast, which is more stable, and although the recipe said just throw it in with the flour, I usually keep out 1 C of the water and soak the yeast in it a few minutes...

Put the warm water, oil, honey, salt, and 7 cups of the flour (including the gluten) in mixer. Let mix a couple of minutes until blended, then add the yeast (either dry or with the water), optional flavorings, and about 4 more cups of flour. Let mix 10 minutes, checking the last few minutes and adding some or all of the last cup of flour if the dough hasn't "left" the sides of the bowl.

I roll immediately (wheat bread supposedly gets its best rise the first time) on an oiled counter. Put in pans, sprayed with Pam, and let sit on counter or in slightly warm oven...about 30-45 minutes. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes. Butter tops when the come out of oven if you like a soft crust. Tip out on bread board after cooling 5 minutes.

Clam Chowder

It was cold and rainy today...perfect for clam chowder. I've never had a recipe for this. It's just something we made, so all these amounts are very flexible...Mark wanted bread bowls, so I got some at Safeway....but that's a lot of bread!

Gma Eck's Clam Chowder

4 slices bacon
1 large onion
3 stalks celery
6-8 medium potatoes(maybe 4 C)
2 cans(6.5 oz) minced clams(including liquid)
2 C milk (we used to use a can of evaporated milk, or half and half, but in the interest of less fat I just use regular 1% milk)
1/4 C Wondra Flour

Cut bacon in strips and fry in large pot. Chop onions and celery and add. Saute for about 10 minutes. Peel potatoes and cut in cubes (about 1/2 inch or whatever...), and add. Pour about 1-2 cups water over this, cover and simmer for a few minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir the flour into the milk (you can use regular flour or cornstarch, but the Wondra dissolves without lumps) and either cook until thickened in another small pan before adding to the vegetables or just pour into the pot and simmer, stirring, until thickened. Add clams last and simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste...I actually use lemon pepper.

Turkey Chili

Fall weather makes me want chili...I really like this version...made with ground turkey and some very interesting spices, it's delicious and healthy, low in fat and high in fiber.

Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey, browned ( sometimes I just use 1/2 lb)
1 large chopped onion, added to the meat
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed (I use the light red ones)
2 (28 oz) cans tomato sauce (maybe only 1 and 1/2 cans if you want it thicker)

Spices: 1 t coriander
1/2 t each: cloves, allspice,
1 T each: oregano, cumin, chili(2 T chili if you like it spicier)
1/4 C brown sugar

Simmer for about 30 minutes... I like it with catsup!

Halloween Aftermath....

And finally one more picture of cute cousins....Jess's sister Robyn's kids, Sydney and Coby...





I had to add one more cute Halloween picture from Jess's sister, Sarah's blog....it's so great to have a whole bunch more cute cousins in the family...

Two cute witchs plus Draco Malfoy!(Livi, Rigdon and Caroline)




Just some cute Halloween pictures I'm snagging from Kendra's blog....anyone else in the family have Halloween picts?


Kody as the "scary kitty"....not too scary with that grin!




The "boys"....Parker the Dragon doesn't look too concerned about Knight brothers Brady and Carson....



Carson's Star Wars costume he wore to his pre-school party....

Sir Brady....Kendra took individual pictures of all the kids in his class...